Here’s the deal.
I like good arguments. Even if I disagree with an argument, I still enjoy reading it. So I’ve put up this post as a sort of filter to catch your attention in the hope that you’ll be kind enough to give me an argument in support of Theism. I invite you to either post such an argument here, or use the trackback feature by posting on your own blog and linking here so I can see it.
I’d like to point out that the point of this blog post is to collect arguments. It’s not to provide counter-arguments. So if someone comments on this blog post in order to disprove or disagree with someone else’s argument, I’ll just delete that comment. It doesn’t matter if I like you or not. It doesn’t matter if I agree with you or not. Your comment will go.
That being said, I’m open to people who wish to perform an hermeneutically generous rhetorical deconstruction or interpretation on someone else’s argument. That’s cool. And if you want to use an existing argument as a platform for creating a new argument of your own, that’s cool too.
But if someone rhetorically deconstructs an argument or uses an existing argument as a platform for a new argument in such a way as to debunk or disagree the original, I’ll spot it and delete it. Also, if someone purposely posts a weak argument ‘in favor of’ Theism in such a way as to undermine Theism, I’ll spot that too.
Also, if you just repeat an argument that’s already been posted in a way that’s boring, I’ll delete it. If you repeat an argument in a way that’s interesting, that’s okay. I just don’t want a hundred or so identical ‘Theism is right because of the bacterial flagellum’ arguments unless they’re uniquely interesting to read.
Finally, if all you post is something a long the lines of “Such-and-such’s argument was awesome!!!” I’ll delete that too. I don’t want your opinion; I want your argument. Something along the lines of “Such-and-such’s argument started out doing this, and that led to this, and those two made a really good point together in the following way.” None of this me-too crap. It’s boring.
Arguments are a hobby of mine, so don’t bother trying to trick me on any of these conditions for posting here. I’m actively studying and practicing sophistry, so the chances are good that I’m sneakier at this than you. So behave yourselves and play nice. 
I also reserve the right to delete any comment at any time without reason or warning, just in case someone gets smart assed about the conditions I’m trying to set for a fair collection and analysis of argument.
Last of all, I won’t be commenting on any arguments except for explaining who’s comments I’ve deleted and why. So if I don’t comment on an argument of yours, it doesn’t mean I didn’t like it – although if it’s any good, I probably will.
P.S. It’s not a requirement that you must believe the argument you’re making. Just so long as it’s in support of Theism.
I’m not sure if this exactly what you’re looking for, but here’s at least “a point” that is in support of Theism:
The pragmatist philosopher Charles Peirce once said that the world was “mind-like.” However, since Darwin we know that the reverse must be true: the mind is world-like. We exist in a world where (at least in terms of evolution) it is advantageous for us to think rationally, to recognize patterns, etc. Similarly, the reason we see in the spectrum of visible light is simply because the majority of the light our sun gives off is visible light. If it were radio waves or UV light, we would see in those spectrums. It all depends on our environment. (There are some nocturnal animals who do see in infrared, for example.)
So what is my point here, exactly? We’re rational animals because the environment we live in appears to be ordered. Things outside of our environment (assuming, of course, there is such a thing of “outside our environment”) may not be perceivable or understandable by us.
So how do we come to know God? In short, we don’t. God is outside of our world. For us to understand God, we need to think in terms beyond typical rationality. The Christians probably have the best way to get around this, because for them God actually did come into the physical world as a human being.
Ultimately, this isn’t so much an argument in support of theism as it is just a point: an atheist cannot attempt to attack logical fallacies in the “idea of God” because they’re ultimately irrelevant. God is not a logically intelligible thing.
Comment by LP — March 31, 2008 @ 4:09 am
Interesting project…
Jewish tradition didn’t engage in trying to demonstrate of ‘prove’ God’s existence. For them, evidence of the Creators action was ’seen’ in both original (i.e. creation ‘ex nihilo’) and ongoing (the upholding and sustaining of) creation.
Where the God question always gets interesting, however, is of course the question of the presence of evil (if one believes in such a thing). If God be both powerful and good (and it’s an interesting question as to why God is almost always imagined to be both those things – and even more interesting to think about what different people mean by ‘powerful’ and/or ‘good’), how can there be evil? Thus begins the fun (or frustration?) of Theodicy…
My main point, I guess, is to simply point out the Jewish tendency not to try to ‘prove’ God’s existence. However, the Jews, of course, did not hesitate for a moment to speak of the various pagan gods’ (whether the Egyptian gods or the Greek, Syrian or other pantheons) non-existence… That, of course, is what it means to be a Monotheist.
Hope this is coherent…
Cheers,
-d-
Comment by Dale — April 1, 2008 @ 6:36 am
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The first argument you gave explains why quantum mechanics and relativity are so weird.
Comment by Samuel Skinner — April 30, 2008 @ 10:08 pm
Hi U.C., I thought I’d check out your blog since you visited mine
This post struck me so here’s my two little cents. I could give you dozens of arguments. But what’s the use? If you do not accept their premise the arguments will be useless. For example, I could tell you that since everything changes, it has to be changed by something else and since that can’t go on to infinity there must be One who is unchanged. Or I could tell you that since everything is created there must be One who is uncreated and who is the Creator of all. But I’m sure you’ve heard all of these arguments before.
You see you are willing to accept a logical, rational proof that God exists. I commend you for that. But I tell you truly that even if such a proof exists you will not accept it.
If I may make a suggestion, it is your heart that is the key to understanding. Without the heart, the mind turns in circles and exhausts itself searching in vain for things it cannot comprehend.
God bless you
Comment by newconvert — July 3, 2008 @ 4:12 pm
Dale, I have a story for you.
You enter a room and you see a father holding a knife, cutting his son’s leg. People tell you that this father loves his son and that he is a loving father in general.
What would you believe? What would your reaction be?
Well here’s the story behind the story. There was a man who had a son. His son was sick. So sick that he was dying. The father loved his son very much and he was very distressed about this son’s sickness. He wanted to do whatever it takes to save his son’s life. He knew his son’s sickness is very advances but he searched the globe for the best doctors and sought the most professional medical advice he could find. They all told confirmed this fears, that his son’s sickness is very advanced and his life is in danger. The child had a kind of deadly tumor in his leg which started spreading fast. There was only one single option – to amputate the leg. The father wrestled with this difficult choice. He thought and thought, as time was running out. He finally decided that it’s better to have a living, healthy son with a missing leg, than a dead son with two legs. He then searched the globe again for the best doctor to perform the operation on his son. He searched and he searched. The thing is that this father’s profession was also doctor. A surgeon for that matter. An excellent one. The best in the world. After his world wide search, he realized that there is no one more qualified than he is in the entire world, for the operation his son had to undergo. With this deep sorrow in his heart, that he had to amputate his own son’s leg, he dressed up for the operation, wheeled his son in and set about to operate.
That’s when you entered the room.
That’s how God is. He is our loving Father who sees us infected with poison and He, the most perfect Physician, is the only one who can effectively cure us. But like any cure, it is not without pain and like any good medicine it usually involves some bitterness. Sometimes it involves spiritual amputation sometimes even more. Nevertheless, He always employs the best operation possible on our soul and body, for our complete well-being.
It’s just that, we usually sit back unaware of all the hard work He is performing in our souls. Rarely do we ever enter the room of our heart, but when we do, if we see Him hard at work, we are horrified and run away, blaming Him for our deformities.
God bless you
Comment by newconvert — July 3, 2008 @ 4:26 pm
newconvert, I would very much like to hear what exactly makes infinite chains of events (or creations or changers or whatever) impossible? The professor of philosophy I asked did not know. Do you happen to have a good answer?
Comment by Tommi — July 16, 2008 @ 4:24 am